Many families gather in the kitchen to spend time
together, but it can be one of the most hazardous rooms in the house if you
don't practice safe cooking behaviors. Cooking equipment, most often a range or
stovetop, is the leading cause of reported home fires and home fire injuries in
the United States. Cooking equipment is also the leading cause of unreported
fires and associated injuries.

It's a recipe for serious injury or even death to wear
loose clothing (especially hanging sleeves), walk away from a cooking pot on the
stove, or leave flammable materials, such as potholders or paper towels, around
the stove. Whether you are cooking the family holiday dinner or a snack for the
children, practicing safe cooking behaviors will help keep you and your family
safe.

Choose the Right Equipment and Use It Properly

Plug microwave ovens and other cooking appliances
directly into an outlet. Never use an extension cord for a cooking
appliance, as it can overload the circuit and cause a fire.

Use Barbecue Grills Safely

Position the grill well away from siding, deck railings,
and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.

Place the grill a safe distance from lawn games, play
areas, and foot traffic.

Keep children and pets away from the grill area by
declaring a 3-foot "kid-free zone" around the grill.

Put out several long-handled grilling tools to give the
chef plenty of clearance from heat and flames when cooking food.

Periodically remove grease or fat buildup in trays below
grill so it cannot be ignited by a hot grill.

Use only outdoors! If used indoors, or in any enclosed
spaces, such as tents, barbecue grills pose both a fire hazard and the risk
of exposing occupants to carbon monoxide.

*See a new report on grilling fires from the United States Fire Administration: (See the Full Report)

"The report is part of the Topical Fire Report Series and is based on 2006 to 2008 data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). According to the report, an estimated 5,700 grill fires on residential properties occur annually in the United States, resulting in an estimated average of 10 deaths, 100 injuries, and $37 million in property loss. Over half (57 percent) of grill fires on residential properties occur in the four months of May, June, July, and August and almost half (49 percent) of these fires occur during the hours of 5 to 8 p.m. In addition, 32 percent of grill fires on residential properties start on patios, terraces, screened-in porches, or courtyards, while an additional 24 percent start on exterior balconies and unenclosed porches. Finally, propane is the power source in 69 percent of all grill fires on residential properties."

Charcoal Grills

Purchase the proper starter fluid and store out of reach of children and
away from heat sources.

Never add charcoal starter fluid when coals or kindling have already been
ignited, and never use any flammable or combustible liquid other than
charcoal starter fluid to get the fire going.

Propane Grills

Check the propane cylinder hose for leaks before using it
for the first time each year. A light soap and water solution applied to the
hose will reveal escaping propane quickly by releasing bubbles.

If you determined your grill has a gas leak by smell or
the soapy bubble test and there is no flame:

Turn off the propane tank and grill.

If the leak stops, get the grill serviced by a
professional before using it again.

If the leak does not stop, call the fire
department.

If you smell gas while cooking, immediately get away from
the grill and call the fire department. Do not attempt to move the grill.

All propane cylinders manufactured after April 2002 must
have overfill protection devices (OPD). OPDs shut off the flow of propane
before capacity is reached, limiting the potential for release of propane
gas if the cylinder heats up. OPDs are easily identified by their
triangular-shaped hand wheel.

Use only equipment bearing the mark of an independent
testing laboratory. Follow the manufacturers' instructions on how to set up
the grill and maintain it.

Never store propane cylinders in buildings or garages. If
you store a gas grill inside during the winter, disconnect the cylinder and
leave it outside.

Watch What You Heat

The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended
cooking.

Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or
broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time,
turn off the stove.

If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food,
check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a
timer to remind you that you're cooking.

Stay alert! To prevent cooking fires, you have to be
alert. You won't be if you are sleepy, have been drinking alcohol, or have
taken medicine that makes you drowsy.

If your clothes catch fire, stop, drop, and roll. Stop
immediately, drop to the ground, and cover face with hands. Roll over and over
or back and forth to put out the fire. Immediately cool the burn with cool
water for 3 to 5 minutes and then seek emergency medical care.

Cook only with equipment designed and intended for
cooking, and heat your home only with equipment designed and intended for
heating. There is additional danger of fire, injury, or death if equipment is
used for a purpose for which it was not intended.

To prevent spills due to overturn of appliances
containing hot food or liquids, use the back burner when possible and/or
turn pot handles away from the stove's edge. All appliance cords need to be
kept coiled and away from counter edges.

Use oven mitts or potholders when moving hot food from
ovens, microwave ovens, or stovetops. Never use wet oven mitts or potholders
as they can cause scald burns.

Replace old or worn oven mitts.

Treat a burn right away, putting it in cool water. Cool
the burn for 3 to 5 minutes. If the burn is bigger than your fist or if you
have any questions about how to treat it, seek medical attention right away.

Place or install the microwave oven at a safe height,
within easy reach of all users. The face of the person using the microwave
oven should always be higher than the front of the microwave oven door. This
is to prevent hot food or liquid from spilling onto a user's face or body
from above and to prevent the microwave oven itself from falling onto a
user.

Never use aluminum foil or metal objects in a microwave
oven. They can cause a fire and damage the oven.

Heat food only in containers or dishes that are safe for
microwave use.

Open heated food containers slowly away from the face to
avoid steam burns. Hot steam escaping from the container or food can cause
burns.

When in doubt, just get out. When you leave, close the
door behind you to help contain the fire. Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency
number after you leave.

If you do try to fight the fire, be sure others are
already getting out and you have a clear path to the exit.

Always keep an oven mitt and a lid nearby when you are
cooking. If a small grease fire starts in a pan, smother the flames by
carefully sliding the lid over the pan (make sure you are wearing the oven
mitt). Turn off the burner. Do not move the pan. To keep the fire from
restarting, leave the lid on until the pan is completely cool.

In case of an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the
door closed to prevent flames from burning you or your clothing.

If you have a fire in your microwave oven, turn it off
immediately and keep the door closed. Never open the door until the fire is
completely out. Unplug the appliance if you can safely reach the outlet.

After a fire, both ovens and microwaves should be checked
and/or serviced before being used again.

Move smoke alarms farther away from kitchens according to
manufacturers' instructions and/or install a smoke alarm with a pause
button.

If a smoke alarm sounds during normal cooking, press the
pause button if the smoke alarm has one. Open the door or window or fan the
area with a towel to get the air moving. Do not disable the smoke alarm or
take out the batteries.

Treat every smoke alarm activation as a likely fire and
react quickly and safely to the alarm.